Fornia



(N5 Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

H. S. GRACE & A. D. REYNOLDS. BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE No. 558,064.Patented A t-14,1896.

(No Mbdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet2.

H. S. GRACE & A. D. REYNOLDS.

BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE.

No. 558,064. Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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' H. s. GRACE & A.QD. REYNOLDS. BOTTLE LABELING MACHINE. No. 558,064.Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

ANDREW B.BIAHAM.PNDTDUTNU.WASNINGTON.DC.

UNri ED STATES PATENT OFFICE- HENRY S. GRACE-AND ARTHUR D. REYNOLDS, OFSAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE GRACE-REYNOLDS LABELINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-LABELING MACH|NE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,064, dated April14, 1896. Application filed October 18,1894. Serial No. 526,284. (Nomodel.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we' HENRY S. GRACE, a citizen of the United States, andARTHUR D. REY- NOLDS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residingat San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle-Labeling Machines; and we do hereby declare that the followingisa full,

clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to an apparatus or machine for placing paperlabels upon bottles, jars, or other round receptacles. Heretoforemachines have been made for placing labels upon cans. These can-labelsencircle the cylindrical bodyof the can and are pasted or'secured by aline of paste at the point where they are caused to overlap. Thisenables the labels to be easily stripped off the can, which is thenready to receive a new label.

In labeling bottles, jars, &c., of the kind above mentioned a differentprocedure is required. Here the labels are not intended to be strippedoff, but are pasted firmly to the bottle by paste applied to the entiremeeting surfaces of glass and paper. Moreover, there are usually severallabels to be applied. In some beer-bottles, for instance, four or moreseparate labels must be applied to the front, to the back, and to theneck. These labels are customarily applied by hand-labor, which is slowand expensive.

The object of our invention is to provide an automatic machine foraflixing labels to bottles in such numbers and in such positions as maybe required.

To assist the intelligent comprehension of the detailed descriptionwhich follows, it may be stated at this point that the bottles travelor, rather, are propelled by a rolling motion through the machine. Apaste-pot is provided which by means of proper apparatus supplies to thebottleon certain parts of its surface deposits of paste. @From this thebottle travels to and over a label bed or holder, which is so arrangedthat the bottle picks up its own labels, which are thus affixedaccurately to the surfaces of paste previously supplied. Thus if athousand bottles are to be labeled in a particular way the parts of ourapparatus can be arranged so as to receive the bottles successively,apply paste to them in the proper places upon the surfaces, cause themto pickup labels adapted to each surface of paste, and then dischargethem dry and with every label in place at an immense saving from thecost of hand-pasting. In addition the work of labeling is done better,more accurately, and far more quickly.

For a full comprehension of our invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawin gs in connection with the following detaileddescription.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe means for driving the propelling-chain and of the upper tracks forguiding it. Fig. 3 is a general plan view of the whole machine. Fig. iis an end elevation from the left side of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line 2' a, Fig. 1, showing a bottle in position onthe paste-stencil. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 00 as, Fig. 1,showinga bottle in position upon the labelholders. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of a link of the propelling-chain. Fig. 8 is a top plan of thesame.

A represents a frame and support which;

angle-iron secured to the frame and forming together an inclined track,as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. ous path upon which the bottles arecarried from their entrance to their discharge from the machine. Theirinclined shape causes the bottles, which fit them at the base and nearthe neck, to cente or adjust themselves, so as to roll steadily a theyare propelled forward. The angular inclined faces ofthe guides are linedwith me flexible or yielding material 1such a cork, felt, rubber, cloth,or leather-which as, sufficient frictional hold upon the surface of thebottles to prevent them from slipping and to insure their progress by arolling moipement.

The bottles are fed to the rnachine by an incline C, Fig. 1, whichcarries them directly to the guides B B.

It is here necessary to refer to the left-hand These guides formthecontinu- I end of Fig. l, which shows an automatic mechanism by whichone bottle opens the way for its successor. First, however, it must benoticed that five bottlesD D E F G-are in the machine at the same time,as shown in the figure last referred to. The bottle D has beencompletely labeled and is ready to be discharged. The bottle D is takingits labels. The bottle E is receiving its supply of paste. The bottle Fis just at the point where it is seized by the propelling-rollers, to behereinafter described. The bottleG has just come down the incline C,where it has been stopped by the arms 2 2, Figs. 1 and 4. These arms,upon each side of the runway, are bell-cranks, which by links 3 areconnected to another bell-crank 4, the forward end 5 of which projectsup in front of the bottle F at the point where the propelling-rollersseize the latter. At this point the runway is depressed, as at 6, tomake a rest for the bottle just before These rollers the beveled rollers7 seize it. are carried by endless chains II, running parallel and atthe same speed and driven by a suitable shaft I,having a belt-pulley I.When the four rollers (two on each side of the chain) come in contactwith the bottle F, they cause it to roll forward upon the guides, at thesame time pressing it firmly against the guides, the inclined ortrough-like form of which and the beveled shape of the rollers abovekeep As soon, however, as

it in proper position. this bottle commences to move it passes over thepivoted bell-cranks 4, and thus depresses the bell-cranks 2, whichallows the bottle G: to roll into the depression 6 in the guideway.

A spring 8 restores the holding-arms to their original position inreadiness to receive another bottle from the main incline or feedchute.It should here be noted that, since the accurate operation of themachine requires that the bottles shall roll upon the.

guideway without slipping, the rollers 7 are, like the guides 13,provided with frictional peripheral surfaces of the kind beforementioned.

Still assuming that the bottles are carried I along the guideway by thechain and rollers,

it will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 5 that the bottle E has beencarried forward to a position above the pasting-stencil and has passedover the arms 9. A permanent pastepot J is secured to the frame, withinwhich are .pastea'ollers 10, 11, and 12, which carry paste-belts 13 and14. (See Fig. 5.) These rollers are moved intermittently by the passageof successive bottles over the arms 9, the depression of which operatesa ratchet-wheel 15, fixed upon the shaft of one of the rollers, by meansof a system of levers 16, connected to the arms 9. This insures a freshsurface of paste as each bottle is presented. The paste-rollers aremounted in aframe 17, which by means of clips or projections 18 is hungupon the edges of the paste-pot and is therefore independent of thelatter. The frame 17 and rollers can thus be removed bodily from pastesurfaces.

the paste-pot for purposes of cleaning or repairing. The paste-rollersmaybe corrugated on their peripheries or provided with sharp points togive a good hold to the paste-belt and prevent it from slipping. A rigidtable M keeps the paste-ribbon in horizontal position beneath the bottleand insures a proper contact of the ribbon with the surface of thebottle to be covered.

The paste is supplied to each bottle in turn in the proper quantitiesand in the proper places through stencil-plates K L, having openingsarranged so as to admit paste for the proper combination of labels. Inthe drawings, Fig. 3, it is proposed to apply three body-labels and oneneck-label, and hence the stencil K has three openings 19 20 21 and thestencil L one opening 22. The stencils are of thin sheet metal and aresecured to the pastepot by slots and hooks 23 24, Figs. 1 and 5. It willbe understood that the stencils shown are easily removable and areinterchangeable with others, thereby producing any desired combinationof pasted surface ready to receive labels.

Now as the bottle is propelled along the guideway and passes over thestencil it receives upon its body and neck deposits of paste accordingto the relative situation of the holes in the particular stencils inuse, and it is now ready to receive its labels, which correspond intheir positions with those of the It must be understood by thisstatement that each bottle, having received through the stencilsufficient supplies of paste for one, two, or more labels, as the casemaybe, is propelled forward by the chain and rollers to an apparatusconsisting of a label-bed having label-holders, and that these holdersare so placed that the bottle as it passes over them picks up theappropriate label or labels, which are pressed against the particularparts of the surface of the bottle where the paste has been-previouslyapplied. In this connection special reference is made to Figs. 1 and 6,and also to the top plan, Fig. 3. Before, however, describing the labelbed and holders it should be stated that the stencil is supposed tostand a shade higher than the paste-belt, so as to allow the belt totravel freely underneath. The object of this is to prevent the stencilfrom scraping the paste off the paste-belt, as it would do if. thestencil rested directly upon the belt. The pressure of the bottlepassing over the stencil will, however, depress it sufficiently toenable the paste to be applied directly to the bottle while the latteris passing over the stencil.

The label-bed is a table M, secured to the main frame and carrying labelholders or boxes N, which are slightly conical or tapering in shape andare open at top and bottom. In the drawings, Fig. 3, four of such boxesare shown, corresponding to the positions of the openings in thestencil, and each one forms a magazine for labels, whichare taken one byone as the bottle is moved across their open placing of each label uponits appropriate de-- posit of paste and makes a better and more accuratefit than would be possible if the labels were loose in boxes having opendischarge ends of such size as to allow them any side or end motion. l

The pile of labels in all the boxes isforced upward by plungers 0, oneof which enters each box. These plun gers are all adj ustably dovetailedin a plate P, Fig. 6, so that they move upward simultaneously againstthe, In preference piles of labels in the boxes. to using springs orweights toaccomplish the upward movement of the plungers we have adoptedthe water-tank Q and submerged float B, Fig. 1, which give a constantupward pressure whether the label-boxes be full or partly empty. Thefloat is attached to a stem 26, which moves in stationary guides 27 andis secured at its upper end to the platerP.

The label-boxes, which slide in the guides 25, are held in place bysprings 28, having pins 128, which register with holes in the table andin the bases of the label-boxes. This construction is best shown in Fig.6. These pins prevent the withdrawal of the label-boxes until thesprings are depressed so far as to release the pins from the holes justmentioned. Similar springs 28, having pins 129, are used to hold theplungers in their dovetailed guides in the same manner.

The upward feed of the piles of labels is regulated by a brake'shoe 29,released by the movement of the bottle as it passes over the label-bed,but normally bearing against the stem 20. As each bottle passes over thebed the plungers must be permitted to rise by the thickness of one labeland no higher, so as to be in readiness to supply labels to the nextbottle. WVhile the bottle is upon the labelbedthat is, before it isdriven ed the bed-it depresses an arm 30 and a connecting-rod 31,-

which releases the brake and permits the table and plungers to be movedupward by the float the thickness of one label. As the bottle commencesto depress the arm 30, and so gradually to release the brake, the floatcommences to rise, pushing. up the plungers and the piles of labels andpressing the topmost label gradually against the rolling bottle with astrong pressure, which at the same time places it neatly and truly inposition upon the pasted surface. As the bottle rolls along it continuesto depress the arm 30 until it has passed over its end, at which time ithas taken a label from the other box or boxes. Before the bottle hasrolled ofi from the last labelboxes and while the last label is beingpressed against it it releases the arm 30, and the upward movement ofthe stem causes .thebrake to be immediately applied. The motions are sotimed that up to the time when the bottle leaves the last label-box ithas been under pressure, and as it rolls off, the plungers have onlybeen allowed to rise by the thickness of one labelviz., the thickness ofthose labels taken off the piles by the particular bottle. The plungerscannot move now until the succeeding bottle commences to depress the arm30.

By reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the brake-shoe is pivoted toa lever 129, which is fulcrumed to a bracket 130, secured to the mainframe, and is also connected to the rod 31. As the rod 31 is depressedby the bottle it depresses the inner end of the lever 129, which, movingon the arc of a circle, eases the brake from the stem 26. The bottle, however, holds the float down until it (the bottle) has entirely left thelabel-boxes. WVhen it has cleared the arm 30, the brake-shoe immediatelyreturns to its position against the stem 26, and is locked there by theslight upward movement permitted the float before locking the brake. Thebottle itself thus becomes a part of the mechanism for controlling thefeeding of the labels, and we are able to dispense with specialadjustments or feed-regulating devices. The label-feeding devicesrequire no adjustment or regulation, being entirely automatic, and thisno matter what the thickness of labels may be.

The advantage of using a float instead of springs or weights to carrythe labels upward is obvious and definite in a machine of thischaracter. When the label-boxes are full, they have a certain weight,and in using a spring or weight it must be strong enough and exertenough pressure to push the loaded boxes upward. As the labels are takenoff the weight in the boxes decreases, while the spring or weight stillexerts the original pressure. The contents of the partly-emptied box arethus forced upward by an excessive pressure and the labels are pressedso strongly against the bottle that the latter, instead of taking up thelabel, has a tendency to push it ahead off the pile. The result is thatthe label does not exactly fit the opposite pasted surface of the bottleand the labeling is therefore defective. The pressure exerted by a floatis not constant, but is regulated by the displacement of the float andthe label-boxes, Whether full, empty, or partly empty, and

this being the case there can never be an excess of pressure, nor canthepressure be decreased below that required to properly apply eachlabel.

It may also be mentioned that where weights, springs, or other mechanismhave been used to raise the labels it has been necessary to providespecial mechanical means to prevent the labels from being forced above 1the runway. Such devices are objectionable, and we have overcome theseobjections by the IIO . rollers which propel the bottles.

use of our float and brake, as will be readily understood from thedescriptionof the latter and from the drawings.

The bottle has now received its labels in their proper positions uponits surfaces of paste. Still propelled by the chain and rollers itpasses from the labeling-bed over a flexible surface S, which we preferto make a rubber air-cushion capable of yielding in all directions. Thiscushion is covered with a piece of any kind of cloth 32, secured byhooks 33, so as to be easily removed and replaced. Over this flexiblesurface the labeled bottle is rolled and given a gentle pressure,whichsets all its labels firmly. The guides 13 terminate in a chute orincline T, through which the completed labeled bottle is discharged.

IIeretofore we have assumed the forward movement of the bottles upon theguideway by means of an endless chain belt carrying We now describethese special means of propulsion.

At each end of the main frame and mounted one upon the driving-shaft Iand the other upon a transverse shaft 34 are two sprocketwheels 35, Fig.4, over which extend the endless chain belts II, the main links of whichare formed with transverse rods 36, Fig. 5, to insure their parallelmotion and uniform speed, so that they move as a single chain belt orcarrier. Figs. 7 and 8 represent in detail the main links U of thesechains, each of which is connected longitudinally to its neighbor by twostraight links 37, pivoted toi gether and also to the main links, so asto make the chain flexible. To each link used chine. which is composedof two simple angle-rails,

is secured rigidly to the main frame, as at 42. i

The lower is a yielding track and is hung from the main frame by springs43, so as to have a yielding motion upward. Upon this yielding track thechains run While the rollers are propelling the bottles, and hence if abottle should not be perfectly round, or should have a mold-seam, so asto resist the ropelling action of the chain, the tracks 42 will allowthe flexible chain to yield upward, thereby removing the resistance,while the rollers still hold and propel the bottle along the guideway.

WVhen we state that this machine will secure any number of labels to abottle, in all positions desired, automatically, and with accuracy andspeed, we have summed up its advantages, and no detailed recital of themcould add to the force of this statement.

We have shown in Fig. 1, connected to the discharge-chute, abelt 44,supposed to be endless, which receives the bottles as they aredischarged. This belt is provided with cups 45, which are preferablylined with some soft material, such as flannel or felt, cork or rubber.The delivery of the bottles separately into these cups prevents themfrom colliding with one another by gravity discharge and reduces to aminimum all chances of break age to which they might be subjected intheir discharge by rolling against one another forcibly. This insuresthe delivery of the bottles, completely labeled, from the machine andprevents all chance of the bottles coming in contact with one anotherwhile they are being discharged.

What we claim is- 1. A machine for labeling bottles, comprising acontinuous guideway having inclined sides and along which the bottlesare propelled, a series of beveled rollers for propelling said bottles,paste-supplyingmechanism, and label-holders, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for labeling bottles, the combination with a guidewayfor bottles, of a paste-belt, removable and interchangeable stencilsthrough which the paste-belt is applied to different parts of thebottles, and removable and interchangeable label-holders arranged in thesame relative positions as the said stencils, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a machine for labeling bottles, a continuous guideway, means forrolling a bottle along the guideway, 'a device for applying paste todifferent parts of the bottle through a stencil, and label-holdersarranged in the same relation as the openings in the stencil,substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for affixing labels to bottles, a guideway, mechanismfor rolling the bottles along the guideway a paste-belt and removableand interchangeable stencils for admitting paste to the surface of thebottles, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for labeling bottles a guideway, means for propellingthe bottle along the guideway, a paste-belt, mechanism connected to saidpaste-belt and operated by the bottle for moving said belt and astencilplate having openings and located just above the paste-belt,substantially as set forth.

6. In a labeling-machine, a guideway, a label-holder, a float below thelabel-holder for automatically raising said labels, a locking ,device orbrake for locking said float, and

means operated by the passage of the bottle over the label-holder forreleasing said brake to allow the float to move upward, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a machine for labeling bottles, and in combination, a guideway forthe bottles extending through the machine in combination with a flexiblechain belt or carrier for pro- ICC pellin g the bottle along theguideway, a pastepot, a paste-belt Working in said pot, a removablestencil above said paste-belt, and means for driving the chain belt andpropelling the bottles, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for labelingbottles, a guide- Way along which thebottles are propelled, re-

movable and interchangeable label-holders,

plungers for entering said holders, and a fioat for pressing saidplungers upward, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine for labeling bottles, labelboxes having open tops, afloat connected to said plungers, and an automatic brake adapted to bereleased by the movement of each bottle over the label-bed, and to beset against the float by the upward movement of the float, substantiallyas set forth.

10. In a machine for labeling bottles, and in combination, a pastingdevice and a labeling device, inclined guideWays for the bottles abovesaid devices, and a propelling chain belt running upon a yielding trackabove said guideway, said belt having beveled rollers and adapted topropel the bottles, substantially as set forth. 7

11. In a machine for labeling bottles, and in combination With pastingdevices and labeling devices, a propelling-chain having rollers adaptedto bear upon the bottles, and a guide- Way having inclined sidesprovided with a frictional surface, substantially as set forth.

12. In a bottle-labeling machine and in combination, a continuousguideway having inclined sides provided with frictional surfaces, and apropelling-chain above said guideway, having beveled rollers alsoprovided with frictional surfaces, such guideway and rollers forming incombination a guide-track for the bottles, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures, in presence of tWoWitnesses, this 30th day of June, 1894:.

HENRY S. GRACE. ARTHUR D. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

F. H. SEELY, L. W. SEELY.

